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Degrees of Success
Some members of 2010 graduating class overcome hardship in quest to step up to better life
Ioana Patringenaru | June 14, 2010
Midway through the Thurgood Marshall College graduation, Professor Sara Kaplan, the keynote speaker, asked the 950 soon-to-be graduates to close their eyes and think about one or two people who helped them make it through college. Then she asked students to voice their gratitude. On cue, 950 voices rose above RIMAC Field, shouting out a big “Thank you!”
It’s a safe bet that most students were thanking their parents and perhaps a close friend. But Dawn Monday said she was thinking about Theresa Ford, her former counselor at Grossmont Community College, and Stephanie Muldrow, a staff member in the Marshall College office.
This weekend’s ceremony marked the end of a long journey for Monday, a single mother of two. A native of southeast San Diego, she raised her son and daughter by holding down menial jobs until her mid-thirties. That’s when she decided that she wanted to set an example for her children and get a college degree. The road to graduation was made all the more difficult because she has been struggling with bipolar disorder.
“I’m really, really proud of her,” said Muldrow, a student affairs officer at Marshall, who lent Monday her support in her quest for a bachelor’s degree.
“Going to college is hard,” Muldrow went on. “Being a single parent of one is hard. Being a single parent of two is harder. Being disabled is harder still.”
Graduation celebrations
But there Monday was Saturday, celebrating. She listened with fellow graduates as Chancellor Marye Anne Fox congratulated them. “Over the last four years, you’ve made many memories and new friends,” Fox said. “You’ve had adventures and experienced new things. You’ve learned about your chosen field and you’ve expanded your mind.”
Students also took part in many diversity and community activities and redefined the campus’ principles of community. They studied diversity and justice and developed an understanding of other cultures. They are now ready to go out into the world, Fox said.
Chancellor Marye Anne Fox invited graduates to come back to campus next year for the university's 50th anniversary.
About 6,000 students graduated from UC San Diego’s six colleges. Hundreds more received graduate and professional degrees. Graduation speakers included well-know science fiction writer and UCSD alumnus Kim Stanley Robinson and executive officer for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Donald W. Murphy who also is a UCSD alumnus. More than 65,000 family members and friends packed the campus for graduation ceremonies, which also included special celebrations for black and Hispanic students, as well as an all-campus event. Chancellor Marye Anne Fox spoke at a total of 11 ceremonies between May 29 and June 13.
“Whatever you end up doing, know that you’ll always be part of the UC San Diego family,” she told the Marshall graduates Saturday. “This is your university.”
Professor Kaplan, the Marshall keynote speaker, suggested that graduates use what they have learned to make their community healthier and better. Every “thank you,” she said, should lead to a “you’re welcome.” “Each of you have much of the vision and many of the tools you need to struggle with each other to create the world you live in,” Kaplan said.
A young student's story
Rakim Johnson, another Marshall graduate, says he definitely wants to make this world a better place for his community. The son of a single mother, he grew up below the poverty line in Oakland. In that environment, being a good student could be hard, he said. But his teachers’ support and his mother’s love pulled him through.
By middle school, he became part of several honor societies. By high school, he knew college was his goal. So, when his mother moved the family away from Oakland, he decided to commute back to his old school, so he could take advanced placement classes and continue to be involved with various student organizations. He was one of a few black students in his school’s college-prep group, he recalled.
A student celebrates after receiving her diploma Saturday morning.
Johnson was really excited to come to UCSD, he said. Meeting new people coming from different backgrounds was stimulating, he added. At first, he hesitated to talk about growing up in Oakland. But as the years went on, he realized he could become a voice for his community. He has become a role model for his younger sister, who will attend college in the fall. Johnson will attend Stanford Law School. As a future lawyer, he said he hopes to become an advocate for the underrepresented and the under-served.
“It is a part of who I am,” he said. “And it helped me get where I am today.”
Struggles for a single mother
Helping the needy also is a goal for Monday, the single mother of two and fellow Marshall graduate. She plans to pursue a master’s in social work. Meanwhile, she and another UCSD alumna, Janaha Ransome, have created a non-profit organization called TEAM, an acronym for Teaching, Empowering and Motivating. Their goal is to offer tutoring programs in southeast San Diego for low-income teens to teach them about college requirements and life skills. The organization recently received a grant from the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. Its main target is teenage girls who are struggling, just as Monday once was.
Monday was born to a 15-year-old mother. She was raised by her grandmother for much of her childhood. At age 15, she reunited with her mother, who was in an abusive relationship at the time. The two would flee her mother’s husband every few months, going to different cities. For Monday, that meant switching schools. By the time she graduated high school, she had attended six schools in four different cities.
Professor Sara Kaplan asked students to give back to their community.
After graduation, Monday worked menial jobs. At age 19, she got pregnant with her son, Earnest. At age 21, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had to be hospitalized. A few years later, her daughter, Antoinette, was born. She and Earnest’s father had separated by then. The little boy’s father was shot and killed at a party in Stockton, when Earnest was 8.
A turning point
The turning point in Monday’s life came in her mid-thirties, when she got a job at Wells Fargo. She realized that all her colleagues had college degrees. That left her feeling inadequate, she said. She also thought school might be able to give her life a new direction.
She first enrolled in community college in Stockton. Much to her surprise, she received A’s in all her classes. She later decided to move to San Diego and enrolled at Grossmont Community College. Her counselor, Theresa Ford, encouraged her to try UCSD. Monday signed up for UCSD’s Transfer Admission Guarantee Program. She also met Muldrow during a college-prep workshop and the Marshall staff member who encouraged her to keep in touch.
When she got to UCSD, she was at first overwhelmed. Going from a semester schedule to the fast-paced quarter system was hard. She faced a mountain of readings. Monday also still was the primary caregiver for her daughter, a cheerleader who flew all over the country for competitions.
Bipolar disorder was still an issue. Monday had to drop classes when her symptoms worsened. But the California Department of Rehabilitation helped cover her childcare, books and transportation costs, as well as fees when financial aid ran out.
Students listened to speakers and kicked the occasional beach ball.
Little by little, Monday adapted. She learned to use professors’ office hours. She found students who could share notes with her if she missed class. She found study buddies. Muldrow also was a constant supportive voice.
Becoming a role model
“I wanted to give up so many times,” Monday recalls. “She told me to keep going.”
Monday also realized she had become a role model for her daughter. Antoinette, now 14, said she plans to go to college, because of her mother’s example. “It was very nice to hear,” Monday said. “I didn’t know I made that big of an impact.”
After the Thurgood Marshall ceremony, Monday was not done celebrating. She also took part in UCSD’s African American graduation. Her daughter was out of town with her father, but Monday’s son, grandmother, aunts, cousins and friends joined her to mark a hard-earned milestone. Her diploma came in the mail a few days ago.
“I’m very excited,” Monday said. “I can’t believe I did it.”
Christine Clark contributed to this story.
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